Kukla's Korner Hockey

Entries with the tag: hockey trades

Wade Belak was back on the ice for the Panthers on Wednesday night, two days after clearing waivers.

His return was short lived.

The Panthers sent Belak to Nashville on Thursday afternoon, bringing back center Nick Tarnasky. Belak, 32, signed a two-year deal with the Panthers during the offseason and makes $650,000 per year. The 24-year-old Tarnasky is also signed through the 2009-10 season, but the Panthers will see a savings as Tarnasky makes $525,000.

This is the main reason we are not seeing many trades early in the season—the cap situation prevents it.

You may say, “But my team is way below the cap, they can afford so-and-so.” True, but do remember, teams have established their own internal cap figure and may not want to go above it for budgetary reasons.

So, the first thing that should be in your mind when you think of or read about a possible trade is, does it fit within the cap. If not, move on and start thinking of a trade that not only will make sense, but also fit within the salary-cap structure.

As we draw nearer to the NHL trade deadline (Feb. 26), let’s take a few moments to look back at some of the dumbest, most ill-advised trades ever consummated between two NHL teams. These aren’t the only bad trades ever made, but they are certainly among the worst.

To borrow an adage from another sport, any free-swinging baseball slugger will tell you that two extreme outcomes can happen when you take that big swing at a pitch: You can hit a home run, or you can look silly corkscrewing yourself into the ground after completely whiffing. That’s what happened in the following big NHL trades. (Keep in mind, however, that every foolhardy trade on this list made the opposite team’s brass look absolutely brilliant.)